


The Stray

by trespassersw (orphan_account)



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Anxiety, Carlos de Vil-centric, Child Abuse, F/F, Gen, Trauma, carlos and evie are a grade below the others, platonic gil and carlos is awsome and i love it so much, scared carlos, someone protect carlos please
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:22:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23421634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/trespassersw
Summary: One year ago Evie, Jay, and Mal left for Auradon. Ever since, Carlos has been working through life on the isle alone. His chance comes to escape Cruella’s clutches when King Ben announces the next set of villain kids to be brought to Auradon.Gil, the son of GastonDizzy, daughter of DrizellaArgo, son of the Queen of Heartsand Carlos, son of Cruella de Vil
Relationships: Carlos de Vil & Cruella de Vil, Evie & Carlos de Vil, Evie & Jay & Mal & Carlos de Vil, Evie/Mal (Disney), Gil & Carlos de Vil
Comments: 60
Kudos: 251





	1. invited at last

**Author's Note:**

> hey everyone!!!! this is a fic that I have been wanting to write for a little while now becauase I have not been able to get my creative juices flowing for my other one! please read the tags to see if you are comfortable with everything i will be writing about for your own good!!!

For the past year Carlos has spent almost every day the same way. He gets woken up by his mother's dogs barking and then runs around the house doing his chores. He does the laundry, he sweeps the floors, he makes his mother meals, he scrubs the dishes, and he brushes her furs. By the end of the day he prays that he hasn’t forgotten anything, and if he’s lucky he goes to bed without a scratch.

He tries not to think of life when he had Mal, Evie, and Jay. He knows that they were given the chance of a lifetime and he should be happy for them.

But he can’t help but feel a little betrayed that they haven’t come back for him yet. 

_Forgotten_

Before they left the four did everything together. They would support the others when their parents did something terrible. They would protect each other from villains on the Isle. They had each other's backs, always.

Carlos had never been the strongest in the group. Always a little more scared. A little more abused. A little more weak.

He relied on the others for protection on the isle, while they relied on him for smarts.

Carlos had always been a genius. He would tinker with things that Jay would find or fix broken things in Mal’s house. He (usually) knew how to please his mother when she was in one of her moods. Although he wasn’t always successful, he knew how to lessen the blows.

_Worthless_

The scrawny de Vil kid barely ate anything anymore. His mother gives him scraps for breakfast and sometimes some for dinner. Before he left, Jay used to make sure he ate and sometimes stole food for him.

Ever since Mal convinced Cruella that it would be good to align with the daughter of Maleficent he was able to go out for some time with his friends to get away from his mother. When the group left for Auradon and Mal defeated her mother, Cruella no longer saw any reason for Carlos to leave the house. 

He goes throughout the days with his mother’s words following him in everything he does.

_Worthless child! Sweep this again it’s not clean!_

_Not my son! You are a disgrace!_

_Get out of the way you mangy mutt!_

_Good for nothing!_

_Burn the dinner like this again and I will feed you to the hounds!_

The last threat has stuck with him throughout many years. Panic sets in immediately when it is used because Carlos is petrified of dogs. Years of horror stories his mother told him about the furry beasts led to his fear. After being told that they would rip out your throat and gargle your intestines, anyone would be afraid of the creatures.  
  
  


Carlos wakes up as he normally does, to the terrifying yells of the hounds his mother keeps in the basement. At this point he has gotten used to it and he is not as scared as he used to be, but he is still quick to get away from the noise.

He pulls off his small fur blanket and stands up with a small yawn. He opens the door of the cramped closet he sleeps in and stretches on his way to get his mother’s breakfast ready. 

The dogs barking has settled, meaning his mother has probably calmed them with food or attention. Carlos knows that she will be expecting breakfast when she returns from the basement, so he must work quickly.

He scrounges together some scraps they had left in the cabinet and puts them on a plate with a fork to the side. He then runs to their small refrigerator and pulls out a jug of grape juice and pours it into a chipped and stained plastic cup.

Just as he hears his mother come up the stairs he is placing the drink with the food and waiting by the table for the jobs his mother needs him to do that day.

Cruella enters the room and sits in front of the dish, without sparing her son a glance. As she dines, Carlos’s mind starts to drift.

He thinks about his friends. He thinks about what they had and who he used to be. He thinks about his happiness. He thinks about Mal’s snarky comments. He thinks about Jay’s tendency to laugh in bad situations. He thinks about Evie and how she used to make him feel like he mattered.

_Useless_

He looks back at these memories, and they almost seem tainted. Tainted by the betrayal of abandonment. Happy memories he cherished for so long now seem to be making him feel anger. Once the anger passes, he immediately feels guilty. He knows that his friends are happier there and are living a better life. He knows that he does not deserve that and he should be right where he is now, with his mother. He has no right to be angry at them for living well, he should be thrilled for them.

Carlos gets snapped back to reality by his mother calling out his name.

“Carlos! Are you listening brat?”

“Yes, mother” Carlos says looking down at his feet. He tries to push away his previous emotions and focus on his mother's demands.

“I have received something in the mail today that concerns you. It is from the King of Auradon, saying that you are being requested to go to Auradon Prep.”

That sends Carlos into a serious state of confusion. He was preparing to be either yelled at or given chores to complete, not an invitation to another life. A better life.

“Finally I will be rid of you, you nuisance of a child. Although this does mean I will need to find a new slave to do my work.”

Carlos is in too much shock to understand what his mother is saying. He, Carlos, the son of Cruella de Vil, a monstrous villain, will be going to Auradon Prep? It made no sense! Why him? Why now? Why was his mother so ok with it?

“I want you out of this house by noon at the latest. I left the invitation on the couch. Don’t try to pull anything funny, brat this is finally a chance for you to--” Cruella stops talking when she notices that her son has not been listening to her the whole time that she was talking. She grabs him by the chin so that they are face to face.

_Waste of space_

Carlos can feel her angry breath on his, and no matter how much he wants to flinch away in fear he knows it will only make it worse. He stays in place, eyes locked on his mothers with her sharp nails digging into his chin.

“Now you listen to me brat. I want you to get out of this house now and never come back. You have been ungrateful and a nuisance your whole life here while I have to deal with your whining. Now, get out of this house before I let the dogs have at you. Lord knows you need to be taught some manners.” She pulls her hand off of his chin and slaps him hard on the cheek. “Don’t disappoint.”

Carlos holds his hand to the pink mark covering the brown freckles scattered on his cheek. He is holding back tears, but knows better than to let them fall. He chokes out a meek “Yes, mother” and runs to the couch to find his invitation.

  
  



	2. almost free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is just a short filler kind of chapter because I wanted to start writing the next part but couldn't without this!! please let me know if you have any critiques or see anything I could improve upon!

Once a week, Carlos was allowed to leave the house to get his mother food, but what she didn’t know is that he would also sneak off to see someone. Someone he could call a friend through all the craziness in his life. It was fun to have Gil around and Gil liked having a friend that he could be accepted with. Of course Gil had Uma and Harry but he didn’t feel like he could be himself around them as much as he could with Carlos.

Carlos was leaving the house, invitation in hand and a bag filled with a couple clothes and items he wanted to bring when he heard that familiar voice call out his name.

“Carlos! Man I was just coming to see you. You won’t believe it, I was invited to Auradon!” 

Carlos perked up at that, “Gil are you serious! I’m going too,” said Carlos pointing out his invitation. He wasn’t even thinking about how other people could also be going to Auradon with him, he was just thinking about leaving the house as fast as possible. Who else could be going with them?

“Noooo way, dudeeeee! I was coming here to say goodbye but this is so much better! Hell yea! I thought I was gonna be alone because Harry and Uma didn’t get an invitation,” Gil said, looking a little saddened by the thought.

“Wait why were you invited and not them? How did they take it?”

“Well when I went to see if they got invites too, they said no. They were all like ‘ _it doesn’t matter I don’t want to go to some prissy princess school_ ’,” Gil mocked, “but I could tell that they were upset about it. That’s why I’m gonna go to Auradon to convince the king to let them come!”

“That’s so cool, Gil. I’m really glad you're coming. I didn’t really have time to think about who else would be there. My mom made me leave so fast.”

“Oh Carlos, how did she take it? Are you ok, do you need the kit?”

“No I'm fine Gil, thanks,” Carlos smiled, Gil was always ready to help someone in need, “She honestly seemed pretty happy to be rid of me. What about Gaston?”

“He seemed ok about it, we don’t really talk anyway ‘cause I spend so much time with Harry and Uma instead. Anyway, let’s go. I think I heard something about a limo going by Lady Tremaine’s salon.”

“I hope it’s Dizzy and not one of her cousins, they’re so annoying,” said Carlos, causing Gil to start laughing. After putting the invitation in his black pants pocket to prevent it from being taken and telling Gil to do the same, the two boys started walking towards Lady Tremaine's. 

Despite his eagerness to leave the isle, Carlos can’t help but feel guilty for leaving his mother. Without him to do all of her cleaning, who will do it for her? I guess he will just have to add that to the list of things that are his fault.


	3. leaving the isle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!!! i want you all to know that I am gonna take liberties within this so if everything is not perfectly cannon don't freak out (i mean obviously because my ships are not cannon :( lol). anyway I hope you enjoy this! keep in mind this is only my first decendants fic and second fic ever so if you have any criticism please tell me!
> 
> ps: the italics in this chapter are a flashback!!!!
> 
> pps: i also changed it so I have a general idea of how many chapters I want. right now it's around 25 which is why it's at 25 but it could change to be more or less depending on how long I make future chapters!!

When Gil and Carlos were nearing Lady Tremaine’s, they started to notice more and more people lining the streets. Whispers were all around them and more and more people were coming into view.

That’s when they spotted the source of all this chatter. The limo was sparkling black, like it was completely new. It looked exactly like the one that picked up Mal, Jay, and Evie. 

  
  


_“Hey guys” called Carlos as he climbed into their hide-out._

_Mal turned from the wall she was spray painting and waved a hand at him. Carlos could see that she was just starting another long live evil painting. He always loved it when she made those._

_Jay was sprawled on the couch taking a nap with Evie sitting near him holding one of Jay’s shirts and sewing a hole that was in it. Carlos walked over and sat in a chair near the couch the other two were on._

_“Carlos! You’re finally here! Did your mom tell you the news?” asked Evie._

_“What news?” Carlos asked as he went over everything his mom said to him this morning. All he could remember was that he needed to be home in an hour so that he could finish cleaning the house._

_Evie and Mal shared a glance. Carlos saw them look at each other and was instantly worried. Was there something that he didn’t know?_

_“Well,” Evie started with a tone of reluctance, “Mal, Jay, and I all got invites to go to Auradon. We assumed that you got one too.”_

_Carlos was shocked. I mean, Auradon? Why were they being invited? Why didn’t he get an invitation? Were they going to go? What if--_

_He was snapped out of his thoughts by Evies backtracking, “But I’m sure you got one. I mean I bet your mom just didn’t give it to you yet or something.”_

_“Don’t sweat it C, we don’t even know if we are gonna go yet. The only reason would be if we had an evil scheme or something. Our parents are talking about it now,” Mal had put down her paints and sat next to Evie on the couch._

_“Yeah. Yeah, I’m sure you’re right.”_  
  


“Carlos c’mon let’s go show the guy our invitations and get out of here!” Gil said eagerily. He hadn’t had the best time on the island either and was pretty pleased about getting off as soon as possible, even if it meant leaving Uma and Harry for the time being.

The de Vil boy was snapped out of his thoughts. He hadn’t realised that they were now standing next to the limo in a sea of people all around them. The murmurs of those around them had gotten significantly louder. Carlos shrunk into himself under all of the eyes. He had never been a fan of attention, especially in this large of a crowd.

Luckily, Gil was ready to go and pulled Carlos over to the driver before any more panic could settle in. Gil handed the invitation and his bag to the driver and Carlos did the same. The chauffeur opened the door for the two and gestured for them to enter.

After Gil entered and sat on the seat that was in the middle towards the left, Carlos layed eyes on the other two passengers. 

He recognized Dizzy Tremaine, the little girl that Evie had adored when she was on the isle. She was sitting in the middle seat next to Gil and was wearing a blue splattered apron over a multicolored dress. Her hair was just as crazy as ever with different colors twisted and tied around it and glasses that matched. 

She looked like she was trying to hide how excited she was, understandably because of the figure that was sitting to her right. He had put much more distance between himself and Dizzy than Gil had bothered too.

The boy looked about his age and was wearing a red denim pantsuit that had black hearts printed going in miss-matched directions around the outfit and all of the hearts had a beaded yellow outline. Along with that, his jet black hair contrasted his white skin and was almost as long as jays, but it had a slight wave to it. There was a yellow crown with red jewels printed on the pocket by his heart. Carlos wasn’t stupid, he knew that that crown was the symbol of the Queen of Hearts. He’s heard about her son Argo, but he had never encountered him before.

The boy was glaring out the window, his face showing an unamused and harsh glare that contrasted with his bright clothes. He looked as though he would rather be anywhere else right now. 

Carlos wondered if he actually wanted to go to Auradon. He could be dangerous, his mother could have something planned for him to do. Carlos had no idea why she would even try anything though, the whole Isle had heard when Mal defeated Maleficent. Nobody would go against Auradon after they defeated the most feared villain. Would they? Carlos would have to watch his back.

Right as Carlos took a seat next to Gil on the end, the driver shut the door. The noise from outside cut off right when it closed, and Carlos was glad to be able to hear his thoughts clearer. He tried to calm himself, this would be a long ride. 

The car started to move, Carlos breathed a sigh of relief, he was getting off the isle.


	4. the ride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hellooo!! this took a little longer than the first couple of chapters cause i just restarted online school and so i don't have as much time to write! i will try to do at least 2 updates per month but it could be more or less!! i hope you are all safe and healthy!!
> 
> ps : this song reminds me of carlos so i thought that i would share https://open.spotify.com/track/1Xs2hLivBiU1s4ORzp9aYX

The four VK’s in the limo were silent throughout the ride. None of them really knew each other, except for Gil and Carlos, but neither one felt comfortable talking if the others weren’t.

Carlos noticed some things neatly placed in jars around the backseats. They smelled sweet and they looked like food, but he didn’t want to eat without permission. It seemed like a trap, and if he learned anything from his mother it was to only act when told to.

Carlos had never felt free from his mother, she always followed him. Even now when he was going to Auradon, the land of good and freedom. He still felt like she had full control over him. 

_Worthless_

He looked over at Argo who was still staring blankly out the window. Dizzy was twiddling her thumbs and had a slight smirk on her face, lost in thought.

The silence was almost comforting, it was a nice change to the yelling from Cruella, the barking of dogs from the basement, or the general constant activity from around the isle. All four of them knew that they were leaving something behind to make a better future. A better life.

_You don’t deserve anything, rotten mutt!_

Cruella’s voice rang in his ears. Carlos could hear her saying this loud and clear. “It’s almost as if she’s here,” he thought. 

_You’re worthless, you hear me? You deserve nothing!_

She repeated. And repeated. And repeated. And Carlos couldn’t help but think to himself, he didn’t deserve it, any of it. She was right. He was nobody if not a nuisance to those around him. Why did he get offered this?

Gil clearing his throat loudly snapped Carlos out of his thoughts.

“Sooooo. What do you think these are?” Gil asked as he went to grab one of the sweet smelling objects. The one that Gil had picked up looked to be brown and in a weird shape. Carlos wanted to tell Gil to put it down because who knows what could be in that, but he knew that there was no stopping him, Gil had quite the appetite. So he just watched silently as Gil put it in his mouth.

“They smell so good, and they look tasty!” Dizzy said, seeming eager that someone was finally talking. She reached out and grabbed a pink sphere and plopped it into her mouth. 

After a few agonizing chews with Carlos waiting to see if they would drop dead, Gil’s face broke into a huge smile “Oh my, holy sh-”

“GIL! There is a child present.” Carlos warned. 

“Carlos! You have to try this! It’s sweet and salty and has so many flavors! This is the best thing I have ever tasted!” 

Carlos looked over at Dizzy to see her shoving more of the pink candies into her mouth, smiling more than Carlos had ever seen anyone smile before. Gil fishes out another brown sweet and offers it to Carlos. Hesitantly, Carlos accepts. He has trusted Gil for a long time now so if Gil says it’s safe, Carlos believes him.

Slowly, Carlos lifts the treat to his mouth and takes a bite. All at once he tastes all of the flavors. The new and exciting sweet, the familiar but stronger salt, and a bitterness that evens them all out. Carlos melts into the taste, and he does something that surprises himself, he smiles.

How could something so small cause him to smile? Sure he has smiled before, Gil could make him smile, and before his mother got strict and didn't allow him to, inventing and robotics could. But, food had never been something to make him happy.

Carlos reached for the jar that held the candies and read the label. ‘Chocolate’ it read. He is about to pull another one out and eat it when he hears her voice.

_Disgusting animal. Food is too good for a mutt like you._

After hearing that play in his head, Carlos decides against eating anymore sweets. He puts down the jar and his eyes catch Argo. He looks like he wants to eat, but Carlos doesn’t blame him for feeling uncomfortable. 

“Here, have some.” Carlos finds himself offering to Argo.

A look of wanting flashes on the boy’s face before it turns sour. 

“Who said you could talk to me, mutt?”

Carlos recoils in on himself, instantly regretting ever saying anything. His mother taught him better than to do things like this. He sinks back into his seat, eyes trained forwards. He feels Gil’s hesitant hand brush his shoulder, offering silent support but not wanting to startle the boy with an uninvited touch.

Carlos turns to face Gil, and gives him a weary smile as if to say “I’m fine”. Dizzy is too caught up with all of the candy and misses the interactions that just occurred entirely and Argo is back to looking out the window.

Carlos looks back over at Argo, he wonders what is going through his head right now. He must be uncomfortable being around these people he barely knows.

Suddenly Argo’s stony demeanor changes to fear. “They’re gonna kill us!”

All of the other three passengers rush to look out the windows. They see the edge of the island, they see the waves, they see the front of the limo, driving towards nothing. They all let out screams and press their eyes shut tight.

This was it. This was how Carlos was going to die. Not from Cruella, not from the streets in the isle, but from false hope. He let himself believe that he could be free, that he could be happy. Of course it had been a trick, he didn’t deserve freedom, he didn't deserve Auradon.

They waited for the incoming fall that would lead to their drop into the ocean. They waited. And they waited. And they waited. And when it never came, they slowly opened their eyes. Gil being the first, he looked out the window to see a beautiful glowing bridge. It was made of gold flecks sparkling all around them. 

Soon the rest started to open their eyes, and they all sat staring at the magic that had just saved them from death.

Starstruck from the bridge, they sat in silence for the rest of the ride. And before they knew it, they had crossed into Auradon.


	5. A Year Without the Pup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the year leading up to this fic, focusing on what happened in auradon. (i didn't proof read because i'm lazy so don't judge lol)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hellooo!! first of all thank you guys so much for all the kudos and comments I am so so so grateful!! secondly I wrote this because I felt like it was a good next step for the fic and I think that the next chapter I write will definitely be carlos in auradon. also my quarantine has been so weird because today I had a family member give me an undercut! well enough about me, I hope you enjoy!! I didn't really know how this chapter would turn out but I'm actually pretty proud of it. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out my timeline so please tell me if anything looks weird!!

_ 1 Year Ago : The Isle _

_ Three of the most feared villains on the isle made their way to the house of Maleficent, the mistress of all evil.  _

_ Two had received golden envelopes for their children, they wanted to know if it was a trick or if it was real, Maleficent’s plan. _

_ The other approached the mistress’s house regarding the absence of her son’s invitation. Hearing the gossip about the other children’s envelopes, she wanted to hear from Maleficent why her boy wasn’t chosen. _

_ Though, she had to say she wasn’t surprised. Her Carlos didn’t deserve to be invited and she still needed someone to clean the house, so he couldn’t leave with them anyway. Her main concern was if she would be included in the plan to get off the wretched isle even though her incompetent son didn’t receive an invite. _

_ The villains walked undisturbed down the streets, everyone knew not to get in their ways. When they had reached the house, the guards stared at them and then wordlessly moved to the side, allowing them access inside. _

_ Maleficent was sprawled on her couch, staring them down as they walked into the room. Evil Queen was the first to step forward. _

_ “Did your daughter receive one as well?” She asked as she held out the bright invitation. _

_ “Surprisingly so, EQ. So will our four children be the ones going to Auraudon then?” _

_ “Apparently not,” shrieked out Cruella, “it seems they don’t want to associate with my boy.” _

_ Maleficent let out a laugh. “Accepting the daughter of the mistress of evil but not a crazy dog lady. How queer.” _

_ Cruella seemed angered by the name but didn’t dare to say anything. She stood looking angry, awaiting for Maleficent to go over the plan, which did not take long. _

_ “Three of our children are going to Auradon,” she cackled, “it’s finally time for our revenge. Since Fairy Godmother’s wand can break the barrier, I will need the children to find it. Then they will use it to break the barrier and we will finally be free. We destroy everything good that those princes and princesses created. Then, the world will be ours!” _

_ All four of them began to cackle at the genius plan, all except Cruella delighted that they could count on the children to break them free. Since she hadn’t been thrown out of the room when the plan was announced, she knew that she would be safe and free as well when the deed was done. _  
  
  


_ 1 Year Ago : The Streets of the Isle _

  
  


_ “Remember, when the barrier is broken, you will come out with our parents and meet us in Auradon. Until then, stay away from our old territory. You know that Uma and her crew will claim it.” _

_ “I know I know, we’ve been over the plan so many times,” Carlos groaned at Evie’s protective nature, though he secretly loved it.  _

_ “C, this is serious. You know you’re not the strongest of all of us and I’m worried about you.  _

_ “I’ll be fine, E, I have the tree-house and Hell Halls not so bad.” That was a lie and they both knew it, but Evie didn’t push. She pulled him in for a quick hug so that nobody could see their display of affection. Smiling at him, she nodded and climbed into the limo next to Mal who had already said her goodbyes. _

_ Jay had finished putting his small bag into the trunk and walked over to Carlos. He smiled, but Carlos could see the sadness behind the smirk.  _

_ “Ok C, this is it.” _

_ “I believe in you guys. I know you won’t fail. I’ll be fine until you free us all, and then we can all be together again.” _

_ “Remember the plan, and stay safe.” _

_ “Always.” _

_ Same as Evie, Jay pulled him in for a small hug. It was brief but it meant the world to Carlos.  _

_ They studied each other for a minute, and then Jay nodded and headed into the vehicle.  _

_ The door shut and Carlos was alone.  _

_ “Carlos! Come home now child,” Cruella yelled. _

_ Well not completely alone he guessed. _

  
  
  
  


_ 1 Year Ago : The Limo _

  
  


_ The three teens sat in silence in the limo. All of them knew that they had to fulfill their parents wishes, or they could end up dead. Not only were they thinking of their parents, but their small friend that was left behind kept coming up in each of their thoughts. _

_ Over the years they had all grown to love Carlos, they thought of him as a brother. They had all seen what Cruella had done to him, and each promised themselves to protect the boy no matter what. Leaving him behind felt like they were betraying this promise. _

  
  
  
  


_ 11 Months Ago : Auradon _

  
  


_ Mal was going through the spells in the book on her bed while Evie was finishing up her new dress at her sewing station when Jay burst into their room. He flexed his muscles to show off his new jersey. _

_ “Check it out guys, i’m number 8!” he yelled as he went over to sit on Evie’s bed.  _

_ “Look it you!” Evie shrieked, loving the new look. Mal just nodded and went back to her spell book. _

_ Jay was laying on Evie’s bed staring at the ceiling, lost in thought when Mal let out a frustrated groan.  _

_ “What’s wrong, did the plan with Jane not go well?” _

_ “Do you think I would be sitting and reading this book over and over again if it did?” _

_ Jay and Evie shared a glance and then both walked over to Mal’s bed. Evie layed a comforting hand on Mal’s back and seemed to calm her down immediately. The two girls had grown much closer over their time in Auradon. Anyone could see the sparks flying between them from miles away, except for the two themselves. _

_ “I’m sorry. It’s just that I just want to make our parents proud. They’re counting on me and so is Carlos.”  _

_ The other two teens caught their breath at the mention of the younger boy. They hadn’t talked about Carlos since they had said their goodbyes to him on the isle. None of them wanted to think about him since it would just make them worry more than they needed to. _

_ Evie cleared her throat after a couple of minutes of the three teens silently thinking. “I found out today that Fairy Godmother uses the wand to bless Ben in the coronation.” _

_ Mal laughed triumphantly at this, patting Evie on the back. Right then there was a knock at the door. _

_ Mal got up and opened the door to reveal Ben. _

_ “Hey guys! I just wanted to know if you needed anything?” Mal stared at him blankly and then looked over at Jay and Evie to see if they had an answer. Evie was motioning for her to ask him something when it clicked in Mal’s mind. _

_ “Yes actually! I was wondering if we all got to go to your coronation and if there was any chance we could be in the front row?” _

_ Ben looked taken aback by this, but he quickly regained his posture. “The whole school gets to go, but up front it’s my girlfriend and my parents only, sorry. But there are plenty of--” _

_ “Thanks bye!!” Mal quickly exclaimed and quickly shut the door on him mid sentence. She turned to Evie and Jay with a large smirk plastered on her face. _

_ “I need a love spell,” she said. Jay connected what Ben said to Mal’s remark and realised what she meant. He glanced over at Evie who had a disappointed frown on her face. He wanted the plan to keep moving forward, but still felt bad for Evie. _

  
  
  


_ 10 Months Ago : Outside Fairy Godmother’s Classroom _

  
  


_ Since the last time that Mal brought up Carlos, the VK’s had yet to have him cross their minds again. Maybe it was because of how wonderful Auradon was. Maybe it was because they needed to focus on the plan. Maybe they just had better things to think about. But nonetheless, they hadn’t thought about him. _

_ Ben and Mal had been ‘dating’ for a little while and neither parties enjoyed it. Even with the love spell, anyone could see that their relationship was not good. Mal was just trying to hold on until coronation, then she could let Ben be free of her. _

_ The VK’s walked silently out of the goodness classroom. Seeing their parents, even while in a video chat, had scared them to silence. They all knew what would happen if they failed. _

_ They just had to get through one more week, then they could be free. _

  
  
  
  


_ 9 Months Ago : The Coronation _

  
  


_ Ben had informed Mal that his love spell wore off in the Enchanted Lake while they were in the carriage. Both of them agreed to stay friends, and Ben wanted to have her be near him as his date in the coronation still, even if it was platonic. _

_ Evie and Jay were on the balcony waiting anxiously as Mal positioned herself. The anticipation was building up every moment that the Fairy Godmother had the wand in her hand. Mal could hear in her head the faint shrill voice of her mother telling her to go and grab it already. _

_ Before anyone knew what was happening, Mal didn’t have to grab it from the headmistress, as Jane had done so herself. Mal managed to grab it from her, but little did they know that Jane had already broken the barrier.  _

_ Evie and Jay appeared at Mal’s side. She held the wand out and Ben tried to talk her out of it. _

_ “Our parents will kill us if we don’t obey, we have no choice.” _

_ “Your parents are on the isle! They won’t be able to touch you here! This won’t make you happy, Auradon makes you happy.” _

_ Mal looked at the floor, contemplating her next move. They had already come so far, but deep in her heart she knew this wasn’t who she was. She was good. _

_ “I don’t want to do this. I’m just scared.” _

_ “We will all be here for you Mal, you don’t have to do this. You can be good.” _

_ She looked at Ben, and then at the people around her, the innocent civilians. Then she turned to face Jay and Evie and they looked scared too and hesitant. Her eyes lingered on Evie’s as she said, “I think I want to be good.” _

_ Right then a green puff of smoke filled the room and Maleficent appeared in front of the audience. Many frightened shrieks and gasps filled the hall and the cackling of the evil fairy echoed throughout. _

_ “Give me the wand Mal, it’s time.” Maleficent made a repeating grabbing motion with her hand _

_ “No!” yelled Mal as she threw the wand to Fairy Godmother.  _

_ The scene battled on as Maleficent froze everyone, and then battled the VK’s as a dragon. Eventually Mal began to chant, “The strength of evil is good as none, when stands before 3 hearts as 1.” _

_ The evil fairy had been defeated, and the 3 teens had saved Auradon.  _

_ Any ties that they had to the isle had been served by the final defeat of evil. They never needed to go back, and then couldn’t think of any reason to be tied down by the isle any longer. In this moment, they were good, and that was all that mattered. _

  
  
  
  


_ 6 Months Ago : Auradon  _

  
  


_ Mal and Evie started to date a month after the events of coronation. Ben was swept away by kingly duties and Jay was immersed in all of Auradon’s sports.  _

_ Everyone was happy, they had all finally been able to go to school normally without worries, and no more of those terrible goodness classes.  _

_ Ben had made Mal his royal advisor and they worked over matters together very well. Mal had been pushing to bring in more children from the isle over to Auradon since a little while after coronation. _

_ Ben was all for the idea but still was hesitant, they didn’t want to take just anyone.  _

_ “Do you or the others have any ideas of who we could bring over? I chose you three because I thought that your parents were the worst so you must have it the worst. Anyone who wouldn’t bring harm to Auradon?” _

_ Mal spent a minute thinking it over, she immediately thought of one of the more dangerous VK’s, Uma. She ruled her out thinking it would be too dangerous, they didn’t want a repeat of coronation. Her mind passed from Uma to someone more familiar. _

_ Mal’s eyes grew wide and she slapped her hand to her mouth in shock. Mumbling to herself of how they could be so stupid, she got up out of the chair quickly, almost falling over. She ran towards the door, ignoring Ben calling out after her. She didn’t care, she had to get to Jay and Evie. She had to tell them.  _

_ They had forgotten about Carlos. _


	6. the arrival part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the newbies experience their first taste of auraudon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eeeeeeeeee i'm sorry this is kinda late!! this chapter was really important and i wanted to make sure it was good and so i decided to make it into two separate parts so that i could have another week to work on it!! i had really bad writers block with this one so please tell me if there is anything that i can fix! also also i might go back to the first few chapters and fix some stuff that isn't perfect so i can improve the story!!

Evie had been pacing the dorm room for hours. She hadn’t eaten breakfast that morning because she couldn’t stomach eating. Just thinking about the whole situation made her queasy. 

She hoped that Carlos had been alright. Cruella was a monster, but she had never been too terrible. Right?

His mother had never been good to Carlos and Evie knew that he had to sleep in that horrible closet, but it had never gone that far. Sure they had to stitch him up a couple of times, but he could do that himself now. He didn’t need them anymore. Right?

Her worry was interrupted by a quick, musical knock on her door followed by chipper Mal walking in. 

“Hey E,” She said as she walked to Evie who had ended up standing by Mal’s bed. She gave her girlfriend a quick peck on the cheek and then pulled her down to sit.

“How’re you doin’?” Mal smiled at her girlfriend. She was genuinely excited to see Carlos again. She knew he could probably hold his own on the isle, or at least she told herself that so she didn’t have to think about--

“I’m good, just really nervous,” Evie responded while thumbing her fingers. Mal noticed and took her hands into her own, threading their fingers together. 

“It’s all gonna be ok, don’t worry.”

And even though it was said to reassure her, Evie couldn’t help but feel like Mal was saying this to herself too.

“Ben sent the limo over about 5 minutes ago, so we should probably start walking over to the entrance. Jay, you, me, and Ben are gonna be greeting them soon.”

Evie nodded and walked to pick up her purse from her side table. She put the strap around her neck and grabbed Mal’s hand, and the pair were out the door.

  
  
  


Jay and Ben were already at the front entrance helping to put out signs and get the band ready. The girls could see students and teachers all over the grounds, awaiting the arrival. There were definitely way more people than when the original three had arrived, Mal thought, maybe they knew it was safer now. Or maybe they were hoping to see some drama go down.

The boys were listening to Doug who was holding his trombone and rambling excitedly. 

“Hey guys you ready for this?” Mal called out causing them all to turn to her. Jay smiled at them, but Evie could see the hint of nerves in his eyes. Jay was a trickster on the isle, but being in Auradon was softening his ability to hide his emotions.

“I’m totally ready everything is going according to plan,” Ben exclaimed “you guys good?”

Evie nodded back at him and she saw Jay and Mal do the same. Doug waved a goodbye to them as he went back to rejoin the band. The obvious elephant of their shared guilt was not discussed as they all walked to where the limo was to park.

A guard approached them and told the King that he got the message “The Jackals have landed” which Evie assumed meant that the VKs were on their way over. Fairy Godmother approached the 4 and greeted them kindly and stood in a spot behind Ben, she knew that he could handle this greeting without her, but as headmistress she still wanted to be there.

Mal traced shapes into the back of Evie’s hand while they waited, hoping it would help her nerves, and Evie was very grateful that Mal knew her so well.

Jay and Ben made small talk which eventually lapsed into a silent wait, well not totally silent as the band was blasting music from behind them and the citizens were all talking among themselves.

Before they knew it the cheers became louder and as they looked over to the bridge, they could see a limo passing over and approaching fast.

_ This is it _ , thought Evie,  _ don’t blow it _ .

  
  
  
Watching the limo as it came from the bridge felt as if it was at least a 2 hour event, but it had only been about 3 or 5 minutes. When it finally parked in front of them, Evie subconsciously held her breath in anticipation.

The chauffeur excited first, and then he went to open the door for the VKs inside.

Carlos could hear the noises already from in the limo, but when the door opened they got significantly louder. He had never been a fan of cheering of any kind. It usually either meant something bad was going to happen, or something bad already happened and they were celebrating.

He tried to calm himself before anyone else in the vehicle noticed so that Gil wouldn’t worry. He could deal with a couple loud noises if it meant keeping that big puppy happy. 

The first to exit was Argo. Carlos could see from the gap the door left open how he held up his hand to block his eyes from the sun. Of course everything in Auradon was bright. And loud. And big and over the top. And so so so so loud.

_ Don’t panic _ , Carlos thought,  _ don’t screw this up, don’tpanicdon’tpanicdon’tpanicdo-- _

He was brought back to reality by Gil rubbing a comforting hand on his back. Gil always knew how to ground him and he was truly grateful for that, they needed one another. 

While caught up in his thoughts Carlos missed how Dizzy had already left the limo. He looked at Gil who nodded, silently saying they were ready.

Gil exited first, taking in everything around him. A dopey smile was plastered on his face as he saw everything. So many colors!

Being the last in the car, Carlos knew he had to exit soon. He took a deep breath in and got ready to face what was to come. Summoning all the courage he had left, he stepped outside.

  
  
  


The first thing he noticed was how incredibly, blindingly green everything was. The trees, the bushes, the grass, everything. It was all filled with the color. Then he spotted the smaller things, the flowers riddled throughout the grass in their blues and reds, the bugs buzzing around happily, and the general feeling of something new, something comfortable.

_ Beautiful _ , he thought. 

Then out of nowhere he heard a loud but gentle voice greet them and with one look at those in front of him, he was reminded why he was here. And who he had to face.

Right in front of him were his 3 former friends standing with who he knew to be King Ben and the headmistress. He realized that Mal, Jay, and Evie had been staring at him since he exited the car and  stepped closer to Gil instinctively. All eyes on him was never his favorite situation.

  
  
  
Evie did not see Carlos exit the limo right away, she was busy enjoying her conversation with Dizzy. She wanted to avoid this as long as possible. But, she couldn’t escape the inevitable and so her reunion was cut short by a jab from Jay telling her to look up.

Evie had expected to see the same Carlos that they had been friends with last year. Maybe some different clothes or hair. 

What she did not expect to see was the innocent boy she loved looking smaller than ever. He was busy caught up in the wonderment of Auradon that he had yet to realize they were looking at him and so she used this to get a good look at him.

He was drastically skinnier than before, it looked like he had not eaten, like ever. His usual shorts were replaced with red leather pants that were lined with black and white fur and his formerly black, white, and red leather jacket was now only black and white. His hair was the same short length and he wore the same red boots and red leather gloves but they looked worn and overused.

The boy looked deeply tired and worn. She was looking at Carlos, but he wasn’t the same.

Suddenly he was broken from the trance by Fairy Godmother’s greeting and he noticed they were staring. 

_ Shit _ , Evie thought. She didn’t want to accidentally scare him, he looked so fragile.

He retreated towards the bigger VK who Evie knew to be Gil, the son of Gaston, or better known as one of Uma’s crewmates. He seemed to have an aura of protectiveness over Carlos. She looked at Mal and Jay, both looked angry and slightly jealous at this, but they covered it well with well practiced fake smiles.

What had they done?


	7. the arrival part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry this took so long!!! I had the first half written for a month but it felt weird leaving it there so the rest of it took a little longer to write out! i've also been going back and trying to fix up some of the previous chapters, i might do a rewrite of the first three (keeping the content but just adding more to it to make it more interesting)
> 
> also! happy pride month! i hope you are all staying safe and healthy!!
> 
> also also! the black lives matter movement is very very important and it would be great if you could support even if it's something small like educating yourself or signing a couple petitions!! stay involved and keep fighting!

“I am pleased to welcome you all as the second group from the isle to join us here in Auradon!” Fairy Godmother exclaimed, unaware of the tension unfolding before her. 

Looking out to the side of her, Carlos could see who he recognized as King Ben. He had a smile plastered on his face, and his eyes briefly swept over all four VKs in front of him.

He could still feel the lingering stares of his former friends trained on him, but Gil’s presence made him feel safe. Well as safe as he could be in this unfamiliar place.

“--and these four lovely students will be showing you all around Auradon Prep! This is Ben, Mal, Evie, and Jay!” 

If he wasn’t distracted by his current overwhelming situation, Carlos might have scoffed at the introduction, clearly none of them needed to be introduced.

With that Fairy Godmother walked off along with the very loud band, who had thankfully stopped playing a bit ago. Along with the band, many of the students had left to go back to their daily activities which made Carlos very thankful for the quieter atmosphere, although some journalists still lingered.

“Hello and welcome! I’m Ben and it’s so great to meet you all!” Carlos could hear a loud scoff come from Argo, and honestly he knew how the son of the Queen of Hearts was feeling. The scoff drew attention from Jay, Mal, and Evie as they all turned away from Carlos to glare at Argo. The De Vil boy felt relief wash over him when he was no longer the target of the stares.

His relief was not long lasting, as all of a sudden Evie started to approach him. Carlos glued his eyes to the concrete beneath him and silently pleaded for her to walk in the other direction. But as he discovered very early in life, he had terrible luck and so he braced himself as the blue haired girl cautiously walked towards him.

He saw Gil instinctively step even closer to him as Evie approached, but Carlos knew he had to deal with this on his own, so he squeezed Gil’s arm as a silent ‘i’m ok’. The LeGume boy stepped away from Carlos, but still kept his eyes on the two.

Evie could see how tense Carlos was once she got closer to him. The boy looked so much older from the last time she saw him, yet still so young and innocent. The guilt in her was so heavy from leaving him on that isle, she would do anything to make it right. 

Carlos could see Evie’s shoes on the ground in front of his, the heels sparkling in the sun. Her voice was just like he remembered smooth and warm, “Carlos, we are so glad that you agreed to come here. I just want to start by saying that I am so so sorry.” Carlos snapped his head up to meet her eyes. 

What? Sorry?? Hearing a word like that on the isle was rare. Hearing a word like that directed to him, that never happened. What was she even sorry about? It’s not their fault they forgot about him, they were happy and he would have pulled them down. Why was she even talking to him? He would have thought they would want nothing to do with him.

“-and we really hope that you could forgive us eventually” Carlos heard as he was pulled from his thoughts. Right, he had got to stop spacing out and start listening to people.

_Are you listening brat?_

Evie had finished talking and Carlos realized that they were all looking at him for a reply. But he didn’t have one. Carlos had no idea what to say. What was someone supposed to say to that? “No it’s totally cool don’t even worry about it” or “Stay away from me I never want to see you again”. For the first time in a while, Carlos’s mind was blank. 

Carlos was staring into Evie’s eyes and had no idea what to say to her. He would open his mouth as if to say something, but then he would just close it again. Evie noticed he was struggling, and so she thought it would be reassuring to reach and put her hand on his shoulder.

That was a big mistake. 

Immediately, Carlos let out a small yelp and flinched back, almost falling over. His eyes locked back with the ground and he started to tremble so slightly, that if Evie wasn’t as close as she was, she would never have seen it.

Gil stepped between the two and gave Evie his worst glare, which caused her to cower back to her friends. 

“Don’t. Touch. Him.”

Carlos had heard Gil angry before, but it was very rare, he was always so happy and bright. Hearing him like this was kind of scary, but having it be directed at you must be worse. Carlos couldn’t help but feel bad that he caused Gil to be angry and scare Evie.

He heard Gil whisper something along the lines of if he was ok and Carlos nodded numbly even though he was far from it. The whole situation overwhelmed him so much, he just wanted to sleep. He was so tired. Too many people, too many eyes on him, and too many thoughts in his head. 

“Well we can show you guys to your dorms now and do the tour tomorrow if you would all prefer that? I’m sure it had been a long day.” The king’s voice called out, trying to ease the tension. He had no idea of how long the day had been. 

Surprisingly it was Argo who answered with sarcasm dripping in his words, “Yeah that would be so great.”

And so the group started to head into the building. Jay and Mal both look as though they want to say something, but don’t speak up. Evie looks extremely guilty and sad, but tries to put on a fake smile for Dizzy who is talking her ear off. Gil and Carlos fall to the back of the group, with Carlos trying to look as invisible as possible and Gil taking in the sights around him.

  
  
  
  
Being inside of the school was very different than just seeing the outside of it. Without the sun blinding them, it was much dimmer, and Carlos muttered a quick thank Evil when he could finally see without squinting. 

The school was very, very large and all of the furniture was cleaner and fancier than any the new VK’s had ever seen. Undamaged paintings lined the walls and fresh plants sat in pots along the floor. Carlos stared in awe at the scenery and noticed the other three doing the same, even Argo seemed blown away.

The King, or Ben is what he told them to call him, told them that Dizzy would be rooming with a girl in her grade named Melody and Argo would be with Jay. Carlos was very grateful to hear that he and Gil would be together, he didn’t think he would trust anyone else to be his roommate. 

They let Ben and Jay lead them to their rooms while they watched Evie whisk Dizzy away with Mal to the girls corridors, missing the longing look Evie sent him. Carlos had to admit he would miss the little fashionista, and he hoped they would see more of each other here. 

After Jay had split off to bring Argo to his room, they finally arrived at Gil and Carlos’s. Ben went over a few rules such as, curfew, library hours, behavior and where to report for classes. He handed both isle boys a key to the room and said goodbye and to find him if they needed anything. Carlos sent him a weak wave accompanied by an even weaker smile while Gil happily called goodbye and sent him an eager wave.

Once the king was out of sight, Carlos was able to release the tension and anxiety he was holding in that whole time. Finally, he was alone with his friend. They were in Auradon. They were safe. They were alone. He sighed out in relief. This was his chance to finally be happy. He couldn't, wouldn't, mess this up. For him or the others. 

Looking over at Gil, he could see the boy still had a smile on his face. He looked eager to see where they would be staying for (hopefully) the year and more to come. 

“Ready?” Gil asked

“Ready,” Carlos responded. After unlocking the door with a slight shake of nerves, Carlos pushed it open and stepped into their new room.

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to comment any ways that i could improve or anything you might want to see in this story!!


End file.
